This Poem has been written by Sarojini Naidu. She was also known as the ‘Nightingale of India’. She was not only a poet but a versatile genius. She was a true nation builder. The most famous volumes credited to her are The Golden Threshold(1905), The Bird of Time(1912), The Broken Wing(1912). Her poems were the most widely circulated poems. She was such a great writer that The Times wrote-
“Her poetry seems to sing itself as if her swift thoughts and strong emotions spring into lyrics of themselves.”
In the current poem “Village Song” poet’s firm faith on the almighty has been shown to us. The first few lines are-
“Full are my pitchers and far to carry
Lone is the way and long
Why, o why was I tempted to tarry
Lured by the boatmen’s song?
These lines give us pictures of rural setting were people face water problem. Girls and women used to fetch water in their pitchers. The poetess is telling us a similar story through her poetry. The girl is fetching water at the river side. She has to go a long way carrying those pitchers. On her way she is tempted and lured by the song of the boatmen. Now, she is worried that it’s too late and she has to reach home. In the next few lines we find that-
“Swiftly the shadows of night are falling,
Hear, o hear, is the white crane calling,
Is it the wild owl’s cry?
The girl is so scared that she tells that there is no moon light to guide her so she is bound to follow the dark path. There can be a serpent or any evil spirit which can harm her. Finally she calls Rama the almighty to save her from this situation. In the next lines we find that-
“My brother will murmur, “Why doth she linger?”
My mother will wait and weep,
Saying, “o safe may the great gods bring her,
The Jamuna’s waters are deep’…
The Jamuna’s water rush by so quickly,
The shadows of evening gather so thickly,
Like blackbirds in the sky…”
The attention of the girl shifts from herself to her home. She is thinking about her brother and mother. Her brother will say why she is delayed? Her mother will look for her and weep. She will invoke God to bring her home safely. There is a reference to river Jamuna which is deep and its water rushes quickly to make anybody scared. It also suggests that the girl lives in the nearby village nourished by river Jamuna. The night is approaching like blackbirds singing in the sky. In the last lines the poet says that-
“O! If the storm breaks, what will betide me?
Safe from the lightning where shall I hide me?
Unless thou succor my footsteps and guide me,
Ram re Ram ! I shall die.”
In the final lines she is reminded about herself that she is surrounded by the adversities. What will happen if the storm breaks or the lightning come? She again remembers and calls Lord Rama to guide her to her home.
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